Zhou Manor.

"Mom, I would rather die than marry that King Yan." Zhou Muyan tightly grasped her mother's hands, crying heart-wrenchingly.

Chen Fengjiao, heartbroken, clasped her hands: "You won't marry, you won't! No matter what, Mom won't let you marry him."

"We can't not marry him, the He family specifically wants my daughter to marry into their family. If she doesn't, our Zhou family will be finished," Zhou Zhaoguo, the head of the family, declared at this moment.

"Our Zhou family cannot be finished. Sister, even if it's for our whole family, you must go through with this marriage. Besides, although He Tingchen is like King Yan, the He family is wealthy and will not mistreat you."

"If the He family is so great, why don't you marry him? He Tingchen has already taken four wives, marrying one after another ends up dead, I refuse to be the next unlucky soul."

Chen Fengjiao saw her daughter struggling to breathe through her tears, her eyes deep. She pushed Zhou Zhaoguo, "The He family just wants you to marry off your daughter, but they didn't specify it had to be Muyan. Don't forget, besides Muyan, you have another daughter."

"And there's Fang Anning!!!" Zhou Muyan immediately wiped away her tears.

Zhou Zhaoguo paused, how could he have forgotten that girl?

Fang Anning was his daughter with his ex-wife, Fang Yi. Back then, he was penniless. The Fang Family was quite well-off, but Fang Yi's parents disapproved of him and vehemently opposed her being with him.

He tricked Fang Yi into eloping and thought if she got pregnant, the Fang Family would accept him. However, those stubborn old fools would rather sever ties with Fang Yi than accept him.

Fang Yi was willing to stay with him in a rental and endure hardship, but he was not.

Six months into Fang Yi's pregnancy, he started a relationship with Chen Fengjiao. Once he received the approval of Chen Fengjiao's parents, he immediately divorced Fang Yi.

Unbelievably, after their divorce, Fang Yi still gave birth to the child and named her Fang Anning.

He had met that child twice.

Once when dealing with the birth certificate, Fang Yi found him and begged him to sign it. Another time, after Fang Yi was in a car accident, the child came to ask him for money. However, he refused.

Now, to have her marry He Tingchen in Muyan's place, would she agree?

"I've heard that girl is so poor she works multiple jobs a day, nearly resorting to selling herself. As long as you offer her enough money, she will definitely agree," Chen Fengjiao told Zhou Zhaoguo.

Zhou Zhaoguo nodded, pondering, then said, "I'll go find her."

"Marry, of course, marry."

Zhou Zhaoguo found Fang Anning, explained the situation, and before he could even start persuading, Fang Anning agreed right away.

Zhou Zhaoguo's face lit up with joy, full of tender affection: "You truly are a sensible child, rest assured, I won't shortchange you, your dowry will be very generous."

"Of course, if you shortchange me, I won't accept it," Fang Anning retorted with a rise in her tone, saying: "I have two conditions. If you meet them, I'll marry."

"Whatever your conditions are, just name them," Zhou Zhaoguo looked at his daughter. Her hair was messy, and behind large black-rimmed glasses was a tiny face.

Zhou Zhaoguo couldn't see her features clearly, but judging from her figure, she probably wasn't too lacking, after all, both he and Fang Yi were good-looking, how bad could their daughter be?

"First, give me one million, deposited into my designated account," Fang Anning demanded.

"No problem," Zhou Zhaoguo agreed instantly.

Just a million, the bride price from the He family was worth ten million, he was making a profit without a loss.

"Second, since I am to marry as your daughter, you need to give me a legitimate identity. I want a newspaper announcement declaring that I am your legitimated daughter, not illegitimate, and that my mother was your first wife," Fang Anning's lush lips slightly curved.

Zhou Zhaoguo's face showed difficulty.

His brief marriage with Fang Yi was little known. Everyone in Yun City knew that Chen Fengjiao was his official wife, and the Chen family was very concerned about face. If he made such a declaration, he would certainly be laughed at.

"This matter... Anning, dad really has it tough, can't you just put yourself in my shoes and give up this demand?" Zhou Zhaoguo played the sympathy card.

Fang Anning scoffed coldly, decisively saying, "Non-negotiable, if you don't make the announcement, I won't marry. It's no loss to me either way."

"I'll consult and get back to you," Zhou Zhaoguo left.

This rental was less than twenty square meters, with both the bathroom and kitchen inside. So cramped it was suffocating, he couldn't stay another minute, hurrying out of there.

***

"What? That bitch dared to make such demands? No way, I refuse. Nobody knows about your second marriage, if you make a declaration now, wouldn't I be ridiculed to death later?" Chen Fengjiao immediately rejected upon hearing Fang Anning's demands.

Zhou Muyan stepped forward and exclaimed, "Mom, which is more important, your reputation or your daughter's life?"

"Of course, my precious daughter's life is more important, but..."

"But what, I am definitely not going to marry, you must agree," Zhou Muyan insisted firmly.

"Fine, mom agrees. Humph, that bitch is just being melodramatic, just like her mother," Chen Fengjiao reluctantly compromised, cursing Fang Anning in the process.

Zhou Zhaoguo breathed a sigh of relief and immediately made the declaration as per Fang Anning's request.

Holding the newspaper, Fang Anning shed tears of excitement. Sitting by the hospital bed, she read each word to Fang Yi.

"Mom, I've finally reclaimed a proper status for you."